Program Requirements
The Minor Concentration in Catholic Studies seeks to enrich the intellectual experience and academic options available to students, to broaden the course offerings across the disciplines, and to complement the visibility given to other programs such as Jewish Studies, Islamic Studies, and North American Studies. Core and complementary courses provide students an opportunity to deepen their understanding of Catholicism in an increasingly pluralistic world. The program offers a systematic and critical exploration of the diverse ways in which the Catholic tradition informs culture, institutions, and identity.
Required Course (3 credits)
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CATH 200 Introduction to Catholicism (3 credits)
Overview
Catholic Studies : An interdisciplinary study of the Roman Catholic tradition in its changing contexts. Traces major themes in the Catholic tradition. Emphasis will vary from year to year on spiritual, intellectual, institutional, cultural and historical dimensions.
Terms: Fall 2015
Instructors: Farrow, Douglas B (Fall)
Complementary Courses (15 credits)
15 credits selected with the following specifications:
9 credits from Catholic Studies courses with the subject code CATH
3 credits from Group I: Catholicism and the Arts course lists
3 credits from Group II: Catholic Social and Intellectual Traditions course lists
Catholic Studies (CATH)
9 credits chosen from the list of Catholic Studies courses below.
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CATH 310 Catholic Intellectual Traditions (3 credits)
Overview
Catholic Studies : This course examines Catholic intellectual perspectives, schools of thought, and major thinkers, with focus on topics such as God, faith and reason, the human person, history, culture and community. Will also examine the interaction between Catholicism and other perspectives and traditions.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2015-2016 academic year.
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CATH 315 Catholicism and Moral Culture (3 credits)
Overview
Catholic Studies : A critical examination of theological and philosophical perspectives which inform contemporary Catholic moral thinking. This course explores the interplay of the evolving body of Catholic moral teaching with other developments and debates in ethics.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Prerequisite: CATH 200, or permission of instructor
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CATH 320 Scripture and Catholicism (3 credits)
Overview
Catholic Studies : The role of Scripture in Roman Catholic thought and culture. Topics include Catholic perspectives on the interpretation of Scripture, debates about the role of Scripture in Catholic theology, and the incorporation of Scripture into popular Catholic cultures.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Prerequisite: CATH 200, or permission of instructor
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CATH 325 The Religious Sense (3 credits)
Overview
Catholic Studies : An inquiry into what constitutes the religious sense, from a Catholic perspective; the relationship between reason, moral certainty and the religious sense; reasonable and unreasonable positions and concrete strategies before the ultimate questions concerning existence; freedom and responsibility, using literature, music and film.
Terms: Winter 2016
Instructors: Zucchi, John (Winter)
Restriction: Not open to those who have taken 190-370A in 2001-02 or CATH 370 in 2002-03.
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CATH 340 Catholic Social Thought (3 credits)
Overview
Catholic Studies : Explores Catholic social and political thought from a comparative perspective. Topics may include the Church-State distinction, subsidiary, the common good, pluralism, the Catholic human rights revolution, natural law and the international order, Christian Democracy and the relationship between Catholicism, liberalism and communitarianism.
Terms: Winter 2016
Instructors: Leahy, Anne (Winter)
Prerequisite: CATH 200, or permission of instructor
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CATH 370 Topics in Catholic Studies (3 credits)
Overview
Catholic Studies : A review of selected topics in Catholica studies. Topics vary by year.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2015-2016 academic year.
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CATH 460 Catholic Studies Seminar (3 credits)
Overview
Catholic Studies : A research seminar on a major theme and/or thinker. The seminar will evolve around primary source materials.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Prerequisite: CATH 200, or permission of instructor
Group I: Catholicism and the Arts
3 credits in Catholicism and the Arts selected from the lists below.
Art History and Communication Studies
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ARTH 340 The Gothic Cathedral (3 credits)
Overview
Art History : Prerequisite: reading knowledge of French.) An introduction to the Gothic cathedral: architecture, sculpture, and stained glass. Also considered is its genesis, its construction and its historical environment. Although main emphasis will be on French cathedrals of the 12th and 13th centuries, their development in England, Germany and Spain will also be represented.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Education
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EDER 209 Search for Authenticity (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : A search for meaning in contemporary living as reflected in selected authors.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2015-2016 academic year.
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EDER 394 Philosophy of God (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : A critical study of the concept of God from a variety of religious, philosophic and mystical perspectives.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2015-2016 academic year.
English
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ENGL 357 Chaucer - Canterbury Tales (3 credits)
Overview
English (Arts) : A study of Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.
Terms: Winter 2016
Instructors: Raby, Michael (Winter)
Winter
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ENGL 424 Irish Literature (3 credits)
Overview
English (Arts) : A study of Irish literature. Topic varies by year.
Terms: Winter 2016
Instructors: Hepburn, William Allan (Winter)
Fall
French Language and Literature
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FREN 252 Littérature québécoise (3 credits)
Overview
French (Arts) : Introduction à la littérature québécoise des origines à nos jours.
Terms: Fall 2015
Instructors: Biron, Michel (Fall)
Fall, Winter
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FREN 329 Civilisation québécoise (3 credits)
Overview
French (Arts) : Étude de différents aspects de la société québécoise (économique, politique, social, culturel) de 1867 à aujourd'hui.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2015-2016 academic year.
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FREN 455 La littérature médiévale 1 (3 credits)
Overview
French (Arts) : Étude d'oeuvres, d'auteurs ou de courants de la littérature française du moyen-âge (des origines au 15e siècle).
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Italian Studies
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ITAL 270 Manzoni: Novel and Nationhood (3 credits)
Overview
Italian (Arts) : An analysis of the historical novel "I promessi sposi", by Alessandro Manzoni: its political, social and intellectual role in the evolution of Italy towards nationhood (Risorgimento).
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Fall
Given in Italian
Prerequisite: ITAL 215D1/ITAL 215D2, ITAL 216, or equivalent
Restriction: Not open to students who have taken ITAL 320.
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ITAL 355 Dante and the Middle Ages (3 credits)
Overview
Italian (Arts) : An introduction to the work of Dante Alighieri, a pillar of medieval European literature. The times in which he lived, the institutions and cultural shifts of that era, the influence exercised by Dante's work, as well as how it has been perceived in our time.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Fall
Given in English
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ITAL 410 Italian Modernism (3 credits)
Overview
Italian (Arts) : A study of representative works of major Italian authors from the fin-de-siècle to WWII.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Fall
Given in Italian
Religious Studies
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RELG 203 Bible and Western Culture (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : To provide students of the humanities with knowledge of the Bible as a tool for interpreting religious references in Western literature, art and music. Biblical stories (e.g. Creation, Exodus), key figures (e.g. David, Job, Mary), and common motifs (e.g. Holy City, Pilgrimage, Bride) are explored, then illustrated by later cultural forms.
Terms: Fall 2015, Winter 2016, Summer 2016
Instructors: Keiser, Jeffrey (Fall) Keiser, Jeffrey (Winter) Keiser, Jeffrey; Ricker, Aaron (Summer)
Fall and Winter
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RELG 210 Jesus of Nazareth (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : A critical study of selected ancient and modern accounts of the aims and person of Jesus. Attention will be given also to the question of the historical sources and to the relationship between faith and history.
Terms: Fall 2015
Instructors: Henderson, Ian H (Fall)
Fall, Winter and Summer
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RELG 311 New Testament Studies 1 (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : An introduction to the interpretation of the New Testament.
Terms: Fall 2015
Instructors: Tappenden, Frederick (Fall)
Fall
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RELG 312 New Testament Studies 2 (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : An introduction to the critical study of the Gospels.
Terms: Winter 2016
Instructors: Tappenden, Frederick (Winter)
Winter
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RELG 341 Introduction: Philosophy of Religion (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : Introduction to the subject. Faith and reason, theistic arguments, values and destiny, the problem of evil, religious language.
Terms: Fall 2015
Instructors: Green, Garth (Fall)
Fall
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RELG 377 Religious Controversies (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : A comparative survey of types and topics of argumentation developed in the literature of controversy. Texts discussed include disputations, missionary sermons and polemical treatises.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Winter
Group II: Catholic Social and Intellectual Traditions
3 credits in Catholic Social and Intellectual Traditions selected from the lists below.
East Asian Studies
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EAST 385 Society and Community in Korea (3 credits)
Overview
Asian Language & Literature : This course will analyze topics in colonial and contemporary Korean life with a focus on the social institutions of family, school and workplace.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Education
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EDER 394 Philosophy of God (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : A critical study of the concept of God from a variety of religious, philosophic and mystical perspectives.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2015-2016 academic year.
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EDER 395 Moral Values and Human Action (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : A philosophical critical inquiry into the relationship between belief and conduct oriented toward the teacher and his/her role in education.
Terms: Winter 2016
Instructors: McDonough, Kevin Michael (Winter)
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EDER 494 Ethics in Practice (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : Fundamental principles of ethics as applied to current moral issues such as abortion, drugs, nuclear war, and discrimination.
Terms: Winter 2016
Instructors: Howden, James (Winter)
History
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HIST 319 The Scientific Revolution (3 credits)
Overview
History : The shift from the medieval to the modern view of man's place in the universe that took place between Copernicus and Newton and its intellectual and social implications.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Prerequisite: a 200-level course in early modern history, or a survey course in philosophy, or permission of the instructor
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HIST 320 European Thought and Culture 1 (3 credits)
Overview
History : The cultural and intellectual history of Europe from the late Middle Ages to the to the 18th century traces the origins of the modern sense of self in popular culture and in the texts of Erasmus, Luther, Calvin, Descartes, Pascal, Voltaire and Rousseau.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2015-2016 academic year.
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HIST 321 European Thought and Culture 2 (3 credits)
Overview
History : A cultural and intellectual history of Europe from the French Revolution to the present which traces the origins of the modern sense of self in popular culture and in the texts of Goethe, Comte, Marx and Engels, Nietzsche, Dostoevsky.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Prerequisite: HIST 320 or consent of the instructor
Restriction: Not open to students who have taken 101-320D
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HIST 324 History of Ireland (3 credits)
Overview
History : A history of Ireland from the pre-Norman period to 1691. The emphasis will be placed on political developments, but these will be considered in the light of their social, economic and intellectual background.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2015-2016 academic year.
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HIST 325 Renaissance-Reformation Europe (3 credits)
Overview
History : An examination of Western Europe from the late 14th to the end of the 16th century. Topics will include the Renaissance, in and outside Italy, the Reformations, the religious wars of the 16th century and the Scientific Revolution.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Prerequisite: HIST 214 or permission of instructor
Restriction: Not open to students who have taken 101-325D
- HIST 336 France, 1789 to 1914 (3 credits)
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HIST 357 Religion and Canadian Society in Historical Perspective (3 credits)
Overview
History : This course explores religious history of French and English Canada. The growth of various denominations, popular religion, Church/State relations, sectarian education, Protestant and Catholic cultures, missions among the Natives, forces of secularization. A reading knowledge of French is recommended.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2015-2016 academic year.
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HIST 360 Latin America since 1825 (3 credits)
Overview
History : Themes in the political, economic, and social development of Latin America since the wars of independence. Emphasis on the domestic history of the region, with some attention to relations with the United States and Europe.
Terms: Winter 2016
Instructors: LeGrand, Catherine C (Winter)
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HIST 401 Topics: Medieval Culture and Society (3 credits)
Overview
History : Selected topics in the intellectual and cultural history of the Middle Ages. Emphasis on modern critical approaches to medieval culture, including literature, the supernatural, religious experience.
Terms: Winter 2016
Instructors: Sharp, Alice (Winter)
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HIST 405 European Cultural History 1 (3 credits)
Overview
History : A survey of 19th century French and European cultural/intellectual history. The sequel to this course is HIST 415.
Terms: Fall 2015
Instructors: Hellman, John William (Fall)
Philosophy
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PHIL 334 Ethical Theory (3 credits)
Overview
Philosophy : A course focusing on central questions in ethical theory such as the nature of the good and the right and the factors which determine moral rightness and wrongness.
Terms: Fall 2015
Instructors: Scarfone, Matthew (Fall)
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PHIL 356 Early Medieval Philosophy (3 credits)
Overview
Philosophy : An examination of selected works in the Christian, Islamic and Jewish traditions. Topics in moral and political philosophy, logic and metaphysics, philosophical psychology and epistemology, philosophy of science, and philosophical theology may be discussed.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2015-2016 academic year.
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PHIL 357 Late Medieval and Renaissance Philosophy (3 credits)
Overview
Philosophy : A discussion of the works of selected philosophers from the late Middle Ages and Renaissance. Topics for discussion may include God's knowledge of future contingents, issues in medieval logic, political and moral issues, and philosophical theology.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2015-2016 academic year.
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PHIL 474 Phenomenology (3 credits)
Overview
Philosophy : A study of phenomenology from a historical and thematic perspective. The course will typically involve the study of central thinkers such as Husserl, Heidegger, or Merleau-Ponty, with an examination of the nature and development of the phenomenological movement.
Terms: Winter 2016
Instructors: Buckley, R Philip (Winter)
Prerequisite: one intermediate course in philosophy
Political Science
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POLI 226 La vie politique québécoise (3 credits)
Overview
Political Science : Une introduction à la vie politique québécoise à travers l'étude des institutions, des idéologies et des comportements politiques. Une attention particulière sera accordée à la structure et aux changements dans le système politique québécoise.
Terms: Winter 2016
Instructors: Belanger, Eric (Winter)
Restriction: An ability to understand and read French is required; writing and speaking ability are not.
This course is offered in English and French in alternate years. For 2012-13 it will be offered in French.
Note: The field is Canadian Politics.
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POLI 318 Comparative Local Government (3 credits)
Overview
Political Science : An examination of the organization and conduct of local government in Canada, the United States, and selected European countries. Attention to theories of local government, the criteria for comparative analysis, the provision of public goods and bads, urban political patterns and the constitution of new institutional arrangements to deal with "urban crises" in North America.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2015-2016 academic year.
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POLI 319 Politics of Latin America (3 credits)
Overview
Political Science : This course will deal with the dynamics of political change in Latin America today.
Terms: Winter 2016
Instructors: Douek, Daniel (Winter)
Prerequisite: A basic course in Comparative Politics or a course on the region or written permission of the instructor
Note: The area in the field of Comparative Politics is Developing Areas.
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POLI 321 Issues: Canadian Public Policy (3 credits)
Overview
Political Science : The Canadian political process through an analysis of critical policy issues in community development, welfare state, education, and institutional reforms in public service delivery systems. Diagnostic and prescriptive interpretations of public choices in a federal-parliamentary regime.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Prerequisite: at least one other course in Canadian or Comparative Politics
Note: The field is Canadian Politics.
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POLI 414 Society and Politics in Italy (3 credits)
Overview
Political Science : Analysis of modern Italian political development in comparison to other Western and Mediterranean countries. What makes Italian politics unique, what makes it resemble that of other countries.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Prerequisite: a basic course in Comparative Politics and preferably an upper level course or written permission of the Instructor
Note: The area in the field of Comparative Politics is Developed Areas.
Religious Studies
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RELG 322 The Church in History 1 (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : A survey of major developments in the history of Christianity from the end of the apostolic age to 1500. Selected readings from primary and secondary sources will be used.
Terms: Fall 2015
Instructors: Kirby, W J Torrance (Fall)
Fall
**Due to the intensive nature of this course, the standard add/drop and withdrawal deadlines do not apply. Add/drop is the second lecture day and withdrawal is the fourth lecture day.
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RELG 323 The Church in History 2 (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : Significant events and persons in the history of western Christianity from 1500 - 1948 will be studied. Attention is focused on mainline denominations in Britain and continental Europe.
Terms: Winter 2016
Instructors: Milner, Matthew (Winter)
Winter
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RELG 340 Religion and the Sciences (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : Philosophies of science and of religion have created a more positive dialogue on questions of method, symbolism and rationality. Examines key issues (e.g. creation and evolution; objectivity and involvement; determinism and freedom) raised by natural and social sciences, and various possible solutions.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Fall and Summer
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RELG 532 History of Christian Thought 1 (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : The development of Christian theology in the Patristic and Medieval periods. Focus on the controversial development of Christian doctrines and disciplines through intensive exposure to primary texts.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Prerequisite: At least six (6) credits at the 300 level in Christianity or the Christian Bible.
Restriction: Not open to students who have taken RELG 320
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RELG 533 History of Christian Thought 2 (3 credits)
Overview
Religious Studies : The development of Christian theology in the Reformation, Post Reformation and Modern periods through intensive exposure to primary texts.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2015-2016 academic year.
Fall
Prerequisite: At least six (6) credits at the 300 level in Christianity or the Christian Bible.
Restriction: Not open to students who have taken RELG 327